Weather

“Good morning, Night City! Today is gonna be hot, hot, hot! We’re looking at a high of 112, so don’t be surprised if you see your local food truck frying up food on the sidewalk instead of the grill! All that heat should boil away yesterday’s blood rain but if you don’t have nasal filters, don’t

The 2020 edition of Fax on File’s Night City guidebook described the metropolis’ climate as “temperate”. Decades of climate change, compounded by a flood of gas and particles into the atmosphere during the 4th Corporate War, has made the word “unstable” a better adjective when talking about Night City’s weather.
The average temperature ranges from the low 40s in the winter months to low 90s in the summer but extremes dropping into the low 30s or high 110s aren’t uncommon. Misty fog, often tinged yellow as it picks up various pollutants, often blankets the city in the early mornings and late evenings. Precipitation is relatively rare, with an average of 19 inches of rain per year. There are an average of two to three thunderstorms per year. The last recorded snowfall was in 2022, shortly after the destruction of Arasaka Tower.
A combination of factors, including coastal positioning, a decades-long drought, the 2022 nuclear explosion, rampant pollution, and a battered worldwide climate makes Night City home to several unusual weather conditions. In addition to the acid rain and inversion smogs found in many cities, Night City residents and visitors can also expect to encounter the occasional dust storm, blood rain, and radioactive wind. Anyone expecting to spend time out of doors in Night City should consider purchasing personal protective equipment.

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Temperatures

Cold Temperature: The temperature is below normal tolerance limits for the average person. Anyone who spends most of the day outside or inside but in non-heated environment without proper protective gear suffers damage via Exposure.

Prolonged exposure to the extreme elements will deal 1d6 damage directly to your HP at the end of each day of exposure. While exposed to the extreme elements, even if Stabilized, you cannot heal naturally. With proper equipment for your environment, you will never risk exposure.

Cool/Warm Temperature: The weather feels fairly comfortable, if a touch chilly or muggy on some days.
Hot Temperature: The temperature has risen to an uncomfortable degree. Increase any preexisting Armor Penalty to REF, DEX, and MOVE by 1. For example, a -2 penalty becomes a -3 penalty.

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Conditions & Weather

Acid Rain:
Almost all rain that falls in Night City is lightly acidic, but occasionally a storm brings precipitation so corrosive it can cause damage in a matter of hours instead of years. For each full minute spent in Acid Rain without protection, ablate all worn armor by 1 SP.

Ash Storm:
Fires, in both urban areas and in the Badlands, aren’t uncommon in the Time of the Red. Occasionally, they burn so hot, long, and large that the wind blows the toxic ashes and smoke across Night City. Treat anyone who spends more than one minute in an Ash Storm without Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Breathing Mask, or a similar device as if they have been exposed to a Vial of Poison (Attempt to beat a DV13 Resist Torture/Drugs Check. Anyone who fails is dealt 2d6 damage directly to their HP). They also suffer the Foreign Object Critical Injury as the ash clogs their lungs and sinus passages, though they do not take the initial Bonus Damage. This Critical Injury can’t be tended to until the patient leaves the Ash Storm. Also GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -2 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.

Blackout:
While not an actual weather condition, loss of power, CitiNet access, and communications often happens due to extreme meteorological activity. The GM can determine where the outage is (1d10 blocks or neighborhood zones centered on the crew’s current location, if determining randomly). For the duration of the outage, any building in the area without a generator won’t have electricity and Agents won’t be able to make calls or connect to the Data Pool.

Blood Rain:
An aftereffect of the 4th Corporate War, Blood Rain is a greasy, pinkish-red form of precipitation known to carry various caustic substances, toxins, and radioactive particles.
Roll 1d6.
On a 1 to 3, the Blood Rain acts just like Acid Rain, although it smells much worse.
On a 4 to 6, once per minute treat anyone exposed to the Blood Rain without protection as if they we dosed with a Vial of Biotoxin (Attempt to beat a DV15 Resist Torture/Drugs Check. Anyone who fails is dealt 3d6 damage directly to their HP.).
Also GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -1 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.

Cold Snap:
The weather has turned incredibly cold, dropping below freezing. This overrides any roll made for Temperature on a Weather table. The rules for Exposure apply. In addition, black ice forms everywhere, making conditions treacherous. GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -2 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check made while on icy surfaces.

Deadly Thunderstorm:
While thunderstorms are rare in Night City, when they happen they trend towards incredibly destructive. Once per ten minute period during the storm, the GM should roll 1d6. On a 1 to 3, the lightning strikes far away. On a 4 to 6, the lighting strikes the tallest nearby structure or natural feature. If there is no such structure or natural feature nearby, it strikes either the tallest Character or the Character holding a two-handed metal weapon. If the Character struck is touching another Character (for example, via a Grapple) they are both struck.
Anyone hit by lightning takes 6d6 damage to their body and the lightning strike counts as a flashbang grenade centered on the struck Character.

Attempt to beat a DV15 Resist Torture/Drugs Check. Anyone who fails suffers the Damaged Eye [-2 to Ranged Attacks & Perception Checks involving vision.] and Damaged Ear [Whenever you move further than 4m/yds on foot in a Turn, you cannot take a Move Action on your next Turn. Additionally you take a -2 to Perception Checks involving hearing.] Critical Injuries for the next minute. You do not take the Bonus Damage from the Critical Injuries.

Also GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -2 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.

Dust Storm:
Northern California has been in a drought since at least the 2020s, transforming much of the land outside of Night City into desert often known as the Badlands. Strong winds occasionally pick up loose particles of dust and debris from those erosion-prone wastes and blows them into the city proper. Anyone who spends more than five minutes in a Dust Storm without Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Breathing Mask, or a similar device suffers the Foreign Object Critical Injury as the dust clogs their lungs and sinus passages, though they do not take the initial Bonus Damage. This Critical Injury can’t be tended to until the patient is removed from the Dust Storm. GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -2 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.

Flooding:
The nuclear blast that destroyed the Arasaka Tower back in 2022 also destabilized the fill much of Night City is built on. Repairs have been made over the years but, occasionally, ocean water seeps up through the cracks and floods a section of the city. At street level, the water levels rarely rise to above more than a few inches, making it more a nuisance than a real problem. Below ground, the flooding can fill basements and tunnels. Wading through a deeply flooded area uses the rules for an “other form of movement”

It cost 2 m/yds of movement for every m/yd traveled or 2 squares for every 1 square. When jumping from standing you can clear half the distance that you could with a running start.

Heat Wave:
Thanks to climate change, more and more often the temperature in Night City spikes into the low 100s and 110s. This overrides any roll made for Temperature on a Weather table. In such oppressive heat, those who wear bulky gear like heavy armors can suffer tremendously. The rules for Exposure apply.

Prolonged exposure to the extreme elements will deal 1d6 damage directly to your HP at the end of each day of exposure. While exposed to the extreme elements, even if Stabilized, you cannot heal naturally. With proper equipment for your environment, you will never risk exposure.

Increase any preexisting Armor Penalty to REF, DEX, and MOVE by 2. For example, a -2 penalty becomes a -4 penalty.

Heavy Rain/Sleet:
Not only does heavy rain (or sleet in colder weather) make surfaces slick but it also impacts visibility. GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -2 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.
Inversion Smog:
Despite the switchover from gasoline to CHOOH2, intense smog “as thick as pea soup” remains a problem in Night City due to lax regulations, regular fires, and industrial toxins spilling into the atmosphere. Treat anyone who spends more than one minute in an Inversion Smog without Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Breathing Mask, or a similar device as if they have been exposed to a Vial of Poison (Attempt to beat a DV13 Resist Torture/Drugs Check. Anyone who fails is dealt 2d6 damage directly to their HP).
GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -4 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check, including Perception Checks to see and ranged attack Checks to hit a target at a distance.

Light Rain/Sleet:
A Cyberpunk classic, light rain (or sleet in colder weather) doesn’t reduce visibility but can make surfaces slick. GMs can, at their discretion, apply a -1 penalty to any appropriate Skill Check such as an Athletics Check to climb a slippery fence or a Drive Land Vehicle Check to perform a maneuver on wet roads.

Radioactive Windstorm:
Good news? The Hot Zone isn’t as radioactive as it used to be. Bad news? The Hot Zone is still somewhat radioactive and strong winds occasionally blow radioactive particles into other parts of Night City. Anyone exposed to the Radioactive Winds who is not protected by a Radiation Suit or similar item is treated as if they are exposed to high level radiation. 

Every Turn that you remain in the hot zone, you are treated as being Mildly On Fire (2 Damage direct to HP), except you cannot use an Action to put yourself out.

Radioactive wind burst begin at the GM’s discretion and last for 1d6 Rounds.